Allegory of a Lullaby: The Dreamy Details

March 28, 2016

Johannes Landman’s miniature Dutch cradle is entitled Allegory of a Lullaby. What exactly is an allegory? We’re glad you asked! In visual art, an allegory uses figures or characters as symbols to illustrate an overall theme, value, or moral. The allegory of Landman’s cradle illustrates themes of childhood.

All four painted panels feature cherubs in a variety of actions: happily dancing, sheltering an infant, and even recoiling in loneliness. The cradle’s headboard panel depicts a muse playing a lullaby that “rocks” the cradle.

Landman is not only a master of painting, but also of miniature woodworking. For this work, he used dogwood from his home province, British Columbia, and added 22 karat gold accents.